Tag Archives: MN

Standing right in the heart of downtown NE lies Masu. After passing by Masu well over a dozen times, we finally made our way inside for some sake and noodles. After entering the restaurant, we couldn’t help but notice the unique layout. In the center of the restaurant, there is an enormous curved bar followed by a handful of neon bright Pachinko games tucked in the back corner. If you are looking for more of an intimate setting, the left side of the restaurant has just what you need.

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Masu has it all really: it is an aesthetically pleasing restaurant with delicious food, great sake, and an attentive staff. When it comes down it it, we plan to be back for seconds. Most importantly, If you’re looking for a decent bowl of pork belly ramen – look no farther.

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood in NE, lies Hazel’s. Hazel’s serves up home-style cooking with some of the finest ingredients around Minneapolis. Whether you are looking for their famous pancakes, or want to indulge in their lunch/dinner menu – Hazel’s has it all.

The establishment itself is relatively small, but they will serve even the largest of appetites. Lastly, the place has really good happy hour specials, which include $3 taps and $2 appetizers. If you are coming in for lunch, we recommend the Audobon sandwich – it is full of delicious cheese, turkey and ham, all served on cranberry wheat bread.

Awhile back, we stumbled into Bent Brewstillery to try some of their brews. Located just Northeast of NE Minneapolis, Bent Brewstillery separates themselves from most of the breweries in the Twin Cities. The brewery feels as if you are drinking in an upscale garage that belongs to your crazy homebrew friend. Whether this was the vibe they were going for or not, it is legit.

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After trying a few of their brews, one of the brewers came over and chatted with us about the brewery. It turns out, Bent not only makes a wide variety of brews, but they also make their own whisky and bourbon on site. Aside from this, they have a large area dedicated to brewing in oak aged barrels, allowing for some unique higher percentage brews. So, if you are looking for some of the best sour beers around, some fresh liquor, or just looking to enjoy a tasty brew – Bent Brewstillery is a must try.

For those who still don’t know, legitimate BBQ really does exist in the Twin Cities. After finally hearing about the Rack Shack, we figured why not give it a try. After living in Kansas CIty for a few years and moving back to the TC area, I have struggled to get my fix for something nearly as good, and I only had hopes that this would be the cure.

This monstrous food item above is known as the Hobo. The Hobo is pretty much every side thrown together over a big ass baked potato, making up over 2lbs of BBQ greatness. This dish is insane: with a potato as its base, then soaked in a buttery sauce topped with cheesy corn, creamy jalapeño macaroni, tender pork, beef brisket, bacon blue cheese cole slaw and drizzled in cheddar cheese (and an side of cornbread). Weeew, that was a lot to say, but way more to digest.

Every ingredient added to the Hobo was right on point. Both the brisket and pork were tender and smoked to perfection to accommodate the behemoth of a potato buried beneath. Anyways. . . this place is the real deal, and I really can’t wait to try the next dish.

Last year, Fair State Brewing Cooperative emerged in Northeast Minneapolis. The co-op brewery is Minnesota’s first, and also happens to be one of the very few in the United States. Everything about the brewery is community driven, as they offer a variety of benefits.

What exactly does a co-op brewery have to offer, you might ask? Well, quite a bit if you want to purchase a share of the brewery and become a member. The cost, $200. If you are a beer nerd, this is actually a VERY fair price. Members will have first dibs on new releases, special discount on happy hours, the ability to have recipe input and voting rights within the brewery (and many other features). For the full article and definition listings, click HERE. Also, if you aren’t a Minnesota resident, don’t bother trying to buy a share, because you must be a resident.

This past Wednesday night, we kept things moving with a hip-hop showcase. The night featured: Manny Phesto, John Shrimpnose & Prophetta, Devon Reason, Mac Drakula, Nathan Ejuwa, Adriatic, DJ Travis Gorman and DJ Low. This is a small sample size of the artists that performed, as we have more photos to come. For want ended up being another successful night of music in Minneapolis, we are excited to help cover what’s next to come. Stay locked for more and make sure to continue to support local artists.

Two nights ago, the Cabooze was lit. The evening featured a stacked lineup: The Palmer Squares, CRAM, Spencer Joles & Nazeem, Boofsquad and beat sets from Phib & Lolambie, PRIME.CUT and Blamsiss. If you didn’t make it out, we got your back with a few highlights above. This is just a glimpse of another successful night of hip-hop in the twin cities with many more to come. If you are still just hearing about some of the above artists, take a moment to press play and vibe out as Minneapolis continues to churn out dope music.

This past Friday, Beasthead held down The Nomad to kickoff the Halloween weekend. The night featured a variety of local artists – all of which, are a unique blend of genres. It was free to enter with a costume, which made it that much more of a reason to come out and support local acts – and aren’t we glad that we did. Make sure to visit the links above and browse the pics below. Don’t forget to continue to stay locked for more recaps to come!

Little over a week ago, we finally made our way over to Insight Brewery in NE., MPLS. After the visit, we found a delicious IPA, which can now be found in stores.

Grabbing a growler and finishing this one in one sitting, was no problem. The West Coast Styled IPA, is refreshing to say the least. Full of tropical fruit flavors and hints of lemon zest – this brew would go down easy as a day beer. Sitting at a solid 7% ABV, you can expect a bit of buzz after finishing a jug of this brew. Keep your eyes open locally and make sure to grab yourself some Troll Way.